Sustainability Meatless Monday

From knowing comes caring, from caring comes action.

Craig Leeson, A Plastic Ocean.
On a number of occasions this year I have commented that a key aspect of UWCT is that it is a mission-driven
school. What we do and how we do it is determined by the UWC mission which states,

UWC makes education a force to unite people nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.
A compelling and powerful statement of intent and I cannot imagine any of us would not want peace and a
sustainable future not only for our own children, but for children the world over.
Fundamental to the aspiration of achieving sustainability is the concept of global citizenship and one of the most
comprehensive descriptions I have encountered comes from Compass Education,

Global citizenship encompasses the constellation of principles, values, attitudes and behavior that the people
must embrace if sustainable development is to be realized. Global citizenship encourages a sane and legitimate
sense of patriotism within the national populations of sovereign countries. Moreover, it insists upon a wider loyalty,
a love of humanity as a whole. It does not, however, imply abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of
cultural diversity, the abolition of national autonomy, nor the imposition of uniformity and homogeneity. Its hallmark
is unity in diversity.
We aspire at UWCT to develop global citizens and if as a school we are to educate the students in order to create a
sustainable future, then we not only need to look to meet our own needs but also take into consideration those of
others. Compared with a substantial majority of the worlds population, we are fortunate to live in relatively affluent
circumstances. With that comes a degree of choice on how we act, and, the responsibility to look beyond our own
immediate requirements.
Many people would be surprised to hear that the consumption of meat is increasingly becoming a pressing issue and,
on its current trajectory, is not sustainable. It is understandable that meat is much in demand because it is a rich
source of protein that improves a poor diet.
With the growth in the middle classes in developing countries making meat affordable to a greater proportion of the
Worlds population, the World Health Organisation estimates that per person meat consumption each year will have
increased on average by approximately 50% over the period of 30 years from 2000 to 2030. The industrialised
nations lead the way with an estimated projected consumption of 100.1kg per person in 2030 (South Asia is at the
other end of the spectrum at 11.7kg). This, coupled with population growth, would require a 70% increase in meat
production. Is this sustainable? Is the current consumption of meat excessive, let alone the projected figures?
Livestocks Long Shadow (2006), was published by the Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative supported
by such organisations as the World Bank, EU and UN is considered by many to have been one of the most
comprehensive works in this area but is disparaged by others. Picking just a few figures to illustrate some of the
concerns:
70% of the previously forested areas in the Amazon is occupied by pastures and feed crops occupy a large
part of the remainder
18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent is created by the livestock industry
64% of the Worlds population expect to live in water-stressed areas by 2025
Livestock account for 20% of the total terrestrial biomass threatening biodiversity due to their impact on
resource sectors (climate, air and water pollution, land degradation and deforestation)
By 2050, the environmental impact per unit of livestock must be halved just to avoid increasing the damage
beyond the levels in 2006
When it comes to water consumption in the production of beef, the figures quoted vary quite widely because of the
different methodologies utilized but it would seem from the various sources I have read that this figure is around
12,000 litres per kilogramme of meat. However, whatever the figure it is significantly more than the amount required

to grow vegetables. We also need to take into consideration the Feed Conversion Ratio which is typically between 4.5
7. i.e. it takes 4.5 7kg of feed to make 1kg of meat.
As to the level of consumption, if we take the WHO figures for the period 1997-99, the consumption of meat per
person in industrialized nations was 88.2kg (by their projections around 95kg in 2017), equating to 247g per day. The
US Government 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend that for the average person at the 2,000-calorie level

should consume 155 gramme-equivalents of protein foods per day. The disparity with the actual levels of
consumption is significant and note the figure is for protein foods and not just meat.
If the environmental impact is an issue and we are overindulging in our consumption of meat, perhaps it is time for us
to reconsider our approach to diet.
A group of students are deeply concerned about this issue and wish to do their part in trying to create a sustainable
future for all our students from the youngest to the oldest. Some may feel that this is not an issue that they believe is
important, and they have a right to their opinions. Others may feel that the impact they can have is insignificant but
social movements the world over have their roots in small beginnings and grow gradually. Whatever your current
thoughts on the matter, I would urge you to do your own research on this important issue and perhaps discuss it
within your family and with others.
Are the students who are leading the move towards creating a Meatless Monday advocating that we should all give
up eating meat and become vegan or vegetarian, seeking our protein from other sources? No, that is a matter for
personal choice, but what they are arguing is that we can and should reduce our meat consumption to a level that is
more sustainable.
As mentioned in the FAQ produced by the Sustainability Council, we will review how the initiative is going before the
mid-term break.
In closing, and to an extent playing the devils advocate, amongst the links to articles below I have included one to the
North American Meat Institute paper Media Myth Crusher.

References
http://www.compasseducation.org
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/3_foodconsumption/en/index4.html

http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating
-patterns/
http://www.gracelinks.org/blog/1143/beef-the-king-of-the-big-water-footprints
Articles
http://science.time.com/2013/12/16/the-triple-whopper-environmental-impact-of-global-meat-prod
uction/
http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/04/sustainable-diets-what-you-need-know-12-charts
https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/117575

Kind regards,
Julian